Cardboard camouflage structure



,7.1m 29,1945- I ,L v HQRR y 2,393,716

CAHDBOARD CAMOUFLAGE STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 30. 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ''anted Jan. 29, 1946 s -cannsoalm CAMOUFLAGE STRUCTURE I John v, non, North Tarrytown, N. Y., assumer-ru Ellison-Freeman Co., Inc., Long isla-nd (my, 1N. Y., a corporation of Delaware .Application December 3o, 1944, serial Nit-smear 4 claims.v rc1. :i5- 25) `My present invention relates generally to M ouage structures, Yand has particular reference Y hereinafter appear or be pointed out, inthe manj,

to a cardboard structure intended to simulate a i vehicle Wheel. .It is a general object of the invention to provide certain improvements in the type of dummy Y device which is commonly .employed during war- Afare to serve as a .decoy and to draw enemy re.

Such devices are `customarily composed of relatively inexpensive material, `and it has been the practice to .employ ordinary cardboard or its equivalent :for simulating certain targets such as vehicles, gun carriages and the like, In order to facilitate their use, .such structures. are frequently made in collapsible vform so that the constituent elements may be `more readily manufactured in ner -illustratively exemplied in the accompany- ;ing drawings. in which:

Figure 4l. is a perspective view of an illustrative cardboard structure `of the general character to which my vinvention relates, shown -in set-up condition, and including two 'wheels of the present improved character;

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the wheel structure by itself, taken substantially-.along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

advance, stored and shipped in compact form,

and assembled and disassembledat the time and place of use. crude, when considered from the standpoint of close inspection, the erection in a strategicallyselected place .of a dummy" structure of the character mentioned, coupled with suitably Although the simulation may' he Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 34 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the wheel Vstructure shown .in collapsed condition;

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

Figures 6, 7 and-8 are plan views of the three blanks, respectively. entering into the wheel structure.

painted embellishments and camoullage nets or.

the like, serves admirably to simulate a genuine target when viewed from the air or from a vdistance. f VThe present improvement relates specically to understood that .the terms "vehicle and wheeL asnsed herein and in the appended claims. arebeing of the conventional'crcular character.

I have chosen to illustrate :my invention as it applies to a. simulated `field gun (Figure 1) provided with a pair of wheels, the wheels shown The structure as a whole is composed'of various cardboard 'elements which are shaped, contoured,

the simulation of a wheel of a vehicle, gun carl I ringe, or similar piece of equipment, it being to he broadly construed inthe light voi the iore-v going discussion; the invention being applicable' for example, not only to the simulation of wheels in the order sense, but also to tractor-type equiv-` alents thereof.

Similarly, while the invention is primarily applicable to a structure composed of sheet cardboard, it is to be understood that the term cardhoard, as used herein and in the appended folded, and interengaged to simulate the various constituent parts of the gun. The various elements are not referred to in detail since they do not form part of the present invention, but it lwill be observed :that the elements include at least one axial support I2 upon which the wheel structure -H is mountecL- The `,present improvement is particularly directed to Athe wheel strucgture u.

The wheel structure 4is composed 7of two side pieces I2 and I3. arranged in spaced upright claims, is intended to signify any material of y equivalent character and properties.

Itis a specific object of my invention to provide awheel-simulating cardboard structure which is composed .of few fparts, which lends itself readily to inexpensve'quantity manufacture, which may be vconveniently collapsed to facilitate storage and shipment, which may be easily and quickly set up for use, 'and which is not only staunch and rugged but highly effective in simulating the desired appearance of a genuine wheel or its equivalent.

Iachieve the fforegoing objects and advantages,

planes with their upwardly-visible peripheries in parallel relationship. Extending between these peripheries are a series of connector strips arranged side 'by side. In the preferred construction illustrated. -these strips form integral extensions of one of the side pieces. In Figure 3, .for example, it will be observed that the connector strip I4 is hingedly connected as at i1 to the periphery of the side -piece I2, and extends into engagement with the corresponding peripheral portion 'of the'side piece I3. This association of parts is established by forming an attachment tab I5 on the free end of the connector strip -I I,

. and vsecuring it by adhesive means or otherwise to the peripheral portion of the side piece I3.

and such other objects and advantages as may 55 The base of the attachment tab I5 is defined by a. fold line' It, and the connector strip Il is also provided with the'medial fold line I8, whereby the parts are in a hinged inter-relationship permitting the device to be collapsed by bringing the side pieces I2. and i3 into close superposed positions.

The connector strips- I4 are arranged only along the upper portions of the peripheries of the side pieces, thereby leaving an opening between these side pieces in the lower part of the structure. This opening is shown most clearly in Figures 1 and 2, and permits access to the space between the side pieces I2 and I3 in order to brace the structure in its set-up condition.

The bracing is preferably accomplished by an element I9 consisting of a substantially elongated cardboard strip (Figure 8) which is adapted to be curved or bent into an arcuate inverted U-shape (Figure 2) so that its opposite edges 2t] and 2I engage irictionally with the opposed inner surfaces of the side pieces I2 and I3. When the 'device is assembled, the brace I9 is held in position by engaging each end between two adjacent connector strips I4. Thus, the end 22 projectsl outwardly through the space between two adjacent connector strips I4 at the left'of Figure 2, and the opposite end 23 projects outwardly, in a similar manner, through a pair of adjacent connector strips I4 at the right of Figure 2. Holes 24 provided in the brace I9 near its ends facilitate the engagement of the strip by the fingers ofthe user.

The two side pieces I2 and I3 are mounted upon the axial support I0, and in order that this sup-V The piece I2 is shown provided with a substantially square or rectangular aperture 25, and the piece I3 (Figure '1) is provided with a. similar central aperture 26.

Rigidity and staunchness can be enhanced by forming each of the apertures 25 and 26 with an inwardly directed tab 2l adapted to enter a slot (not shown) formed for this specific purpose inA one oi the walls ofthe tubular support IU. The manufacture of the device is extremely j c simple, because of the fact that ythe constituent y parts are themselves of such simple nature. For example, each of the elements I2, I3 and I9 (Figures 6 8) may be composed of a simple blank of dat sheet cardboard or the like. The assembly of the parts I2 and I3, during the course of manufacture, may be expeditiouslyaccomplished as follows:

The blank I2 is rst laid upon a ilat table or Support which is provided with an upstanding post having a suitable shape to pass through the aperture 25 and hold the blank I2 against rotation. Each of the extensions I4 is then folded inwardly along its medial fold line I8. Glue is then applied to the upwardly exposed surfaces of the tabs I5. The piece I3 is then applied, with the aperture 26 fitted over the supporting post. A mere downward pressure is sufficient to secure the glued tabs I to the corresponding peripheral portions of the blank I3. Without removing the assembly from the supporting post, another blank I2 may then be applied to the post, and the process repeated. As a result, a series of assembled devices are formed,r one upon the other. each device being in collapsed condition, and the resultant stack being readily removable from the supporting post for packaging and shipment.

During the course of packaging, a brace I9 (Fig-f ure 8) is included, one for each wheel structure,

this brace being obviously packed and shipped in iiat condition.

When the wheel structure is to be setup, lt is a relatively simple matter to separate the side pieces I2 and I3 and mount them on the axial support Irl. Through the opening at the bottom of the structure, the. brace I9 is inserted,

and secured in position as'shown in Figure 2. It A and when the simulated gun is to be dismantled, the wheel structure is removed andcollapsed by reversing this procedure. I

It will be observed that the .parts are so proportioned, that when the device is set up, the connector strips I4 will archv outwardly to a slight degree with respect to the space between the side vpieces I2 and i3. This arched disposition of the connector strips, coupled with the fact that the midportions of the strips are spacedfrom one another by an amount greater than the end portions thereof, enhances the simulation of a wheel tread. One way of accomplishing this result is to make the shape of each connector strip I4 substantially rectangular, and to-make the brace c hereindescribed and illustrated to explain the general nature of my invention may be modified by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Having thus described myinvention and illus-f trated its use, what I claim as. new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:v

l. In a cardboard camouflagestructure sirnu` lating a vehicle wheel, a pair of nat side pieces arranged in spaced upright planes with their ship, a series of connector strips arranged side by side and extending from one of said periph eries vto the other, and. a brace interposed between said side pieceasaid brace comprising an tween said side pieces, said brace comprising an elongated strip disposed arcuately inthe space between said side pieces, each end'of said strip being frictionally held betweenapair of said connector strips,`

3. In a. cardboard camouiiagestructure simu.l

lating a vehicle wheel, a pair of fiat side pieces arranged in spaced upright planes with their upwardly-visible peiipheries in parallel relation;

ship. a` series of icornnectm' lstrips arranged side by side and extending from one of said periph- 'cries to'the other, and a brace interposed be- 1 tween said side pieces, said brace comprising an elongated strip arched into the form of an inverted U and irictonaliy wedged between said side pieces, each free end of said bracing strip f projecting outwardly through thek space hetxsleen` a pair of connector strips.

J 2,398,778 t f "3 4.1m a cardboard structure of the chzasx'arcter` described, the combination of elements set forthY in claim 3. said series ci connector strips terminating short of the iowermost portions o! said peripheries, and said bracing strip being a separate element insertabie and removable through the resultant space at the base .of the structure.

, JOHN V. HORB. 

